Inference and exposure of user communication preferences

Abstract

A method for detecting and exposing user communication preferences within a communication application includes accessing a user profile datastore to retrieve an inferred communication preference from each of a plurality of user profiles. The method further includes storing, within each of a plurality of contact cards of a communication application, the inferred communication preference downloaded from a corresponding one of the plurality of user profiles in the user profile datastore; detecting, via a user interface of the communication application, a user interaction with a user interface element associated with a select one of the contact cards; and responsive to detecting the user interaction, presenting, on the user interface of the communication application, the inferred communication preference stored within in the select one of the contact cards.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 tracking, over a first period of time, communication activity of a first user conducted in association with a first communication account to a communication application;   automatically inferring a communication preference for a communication preference field of a user profile of the first user based on an analysis of the communication activity tracked for the first user;   transmitting the inferred communication preference of the first user to a user profile datastore, the user profile datastore being accessible to multiple instances of the communication application executing on different devices;   populating each of multiple contact cards of the communication application with profile information extracted from a corresponding user profile in the user profile datastore, the profile information populated into each of the multiple contact cards including an inferred communication preference for the communication preference field; and   presenting, on a user interface of the communication application, the inferred communication preference stored within a select one of the populated contact cards.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 presenting the inferred communication preference of the select one of the populated contact cards responsive to detecting an interaction of the first user with the select one of the populated contact cards.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inferred communication preference includes a preferred mode of communication. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inferred communication preference includes at least one of: a preferred spoken language, a preferred pronoun, and a preferred message style. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tracking of the communication activity is performed locally on a same user device that executes the communication application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inferred communication preference specifies a group of users with a shared characteristic. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting additional communication activity of the first user conducted over a second period of time;   determining that the additional communication activity of the first user is atypical in comparison to the communication activity tracked over the first period of time;   temporarily altering the inferred communication preference within the user profile of the first user in response to the determination.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 accessing calendar data of the first user; and   temporarily altering the inferred communication preference for a period of time selected based on a scheduled event included within the calendar data.   
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a communication application;   a communication tracker stored in memory that tracks, over a first period of time, communication activity of a first user conducted in association with a first communication account to the communication application;   an inference extractor stored in the memory that automatically infers a communication preference for a communication preference field associated with a user profile of the first user based on an analysis of the communication activity tracked for the first user;   wherein the communication application:   transmits the inferred communication preference of the first user to a user profile datastore, the user profile datastore being accessible to multiple instances of the communication application executing on different devices;   populates each of multiple contact cards of the communication application with profile information extracted from a corresponding user profile in the user profile datastore, the profile information populated into each of the multiple contact cards including an inferred communication preference for the communication preference field; and   presents, on a user interface, the inferred communication preference stored within a select one of the populated contact cards.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the communication application presents the inferred communication preference of the select one of the populated contact cards responsive to detecting an interaction of the first user with the select one of the populated contact cards. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the inferred communication preference includes a preferred mode of communication. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the inferred communication preference includes at least one of: a preferred spoken language, a preferred pronoun, and a preferred message style. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the communication tracker is executed by a same user device that executes the communication application. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the inferred communication preference specifies a group of users with a shared characteristic. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the communication tracker is further configured to detect additional communication activity of the first user conducted over a second period of time, and
 wherein the inference extractor is further configured to determine that the additional communication activity of the first user is atypical in comparison to the communication activity tracked over the first period of time and temporarily alter the inferred communication preference within the user profile of the first user in response to the determination.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the inference extractor is provided with calendar data of the first user, and wherein a time period for temporarily alteration of the inferred communication preference is selected based on a scheduled event included within the calendar data. 
     
     
         17 . A tangible computer-readable storage media encoding computer-executable instructions for executing a computer process comprising:
 accessing a user profile datastore to retrieve an inferred communication preference from each of a plurality of user profiles;   storing within each of a plurality of contact cards of a communication application the inferred communication preference downloaded from a corresponding one of the plurality of user profiles in the user profile datastore;   detecting, via a user interface of the communication application, a user interaction with a user interface element associated with a select one of the contact cards; and   responsive to detecting the user interaction, presenting, on the user interface of the communication application, the inferred communication preference stored within in the select one of the contact cards.   
     
     
         18 . The tangible computer-readable storage media of  claim 17 , wherein the inferred communication preference includes a preferred mode of communication. 
     
     
         19 . The tangible computer-readable storage media of  claim 17 , wherein the inferred communication preference includes at least one of: a preferred spoken language, a preferred pronoun, and a preferred message style. 
     
     
         20 . The tangible computer-readable storage media of  claim 17 , wherein the inferred communication preference specifies a group of users with a shared characteristic.